Going Green is such a trendy thing these days.  I have to say, I’m glad it’s coming into fashion.  I’m not such a weirdo anymore now that most of the things I’ve been doing for several years are becoming common.  Lately I’ve been reading up on the harm of PBDEs (I will be writing more about these fire retardants later) and I ran across this great list at EWG. I know I’ve already told you some of the things that are important and easy to change around your home (see Is There BPA in Your Baby’s Bottle?  What About His Toys? and So What are Phthlates, Again?) , but I just love EWG’s A Parent’s Guide to Going Green so much, that I wanted to give you the highlights.

1. Choose better body care products. (Use EWG’s Skin Deep to find some!)
2. Go organic & eat fresh foods.  (Choose organic fruits & veggies, and milk & meat without added growth hormones.  Limit canned food and infant formula because of BPA.)
3. Avoid fire retardants. (More to come on this in a post soon.)
4. Pick your plastics carefully.  (You want to avoid BPA and phthlates!)
5. Filter your tap water.
6. Wash those hands. (Skip the anti-bacterial soap!)
7. Skip non-stick. (Toxic fumes are emitted when overheated.)
8. Use a HEPA-filter vacuum.  (They capture the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens.)
9. Get enough iodine. (Very important if you’re pregnant or have a baby.)
10. Use greener cleaners & avoid pesticides. (Look for less toxic cleaning alternatives like vinegar and make your own.)
11. Eat good fats.  (Get those Omega-3’s!)

This is a very helpful list in my opinion.  Please read the guide yourself for a few more details that I left out, if you have time.  It’s not too long and you’ll be glad you did.

First of all, can you believe that BPA is in formula? So yes, even if you’ve switched to glass or BPA free baby bottles, there is actually BPA in the formula you buy! I’ve got some tips here from EWG to help you minimize your baby’s exposure.

• avoid metal formula packages
• buy formula in powder form instead of liquid
• store your formula in a BPA free container – such as OXO Good Grips POP containers (which are also PVC and phthlate free!)
• buy the “better” brands (with BPA only in the top & bottom of the can) – Nestle, Enfamil, & Similac, or the “good” brands (with BPA in the entire container) – Earth’s Best & Bright Beginnings

You also need to avoid using the soft plastic bottle liners, as they also contain BPA.  If you are in a situation where you must use formula, I encourage you to write the companies asking them to stop putting this harmful BPA in their packaging!  If you can’t remember all of the harmful side effects of BPA, please see my other post Is There BPA in Your Baby’s Bottle?  What About His Toys?.

I wanted to give you this information, because some of you are unable to avoid feeding your babies formula.  A close friend who is in the adoption process reminded me about BPA in formula, so I wanted to bring you this helpful information.  Please check out EWG’s Guide to Baby-Safe Bottles and Formula.  It’s a great reminder of all of the important steps in ensuring your baby’s safety.

Yes, I said BPA.  Do you know what BPA is?  Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make plastic things like baby bottles, sippy cups, toys, water bottles, the lining in canned food, and all sorts of things.  Even very small amounts of BPA have been linked to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, and other problems.  OK, I’m thinking I don’t want anywhere near this stuff!  Canada has already banned it’s use!

I started reading about BPA about two years ago, before it became so widely known as a no-no.  I was heating up cow’s milk in Avent bottles for my toddler every morning.  I came across a few articles, freaked, and bought glass bottles.  Then, I also realized that the sippy cups he was using had BPA in them.  And then I realized some of our toys had it in them.  Yikes!  How could I get away from this stuff??

Now that BPA is more widely known, you can find “BPA free” stuff in many more places.  Z Recommends has a wonderful report on feeding products, bath toys, and teethers.  SafeMama has some awesome shopping cheat sheets with BPA free products.  There is one for bottles and sippy cups, and one for pacifiers and teethers.  You can also shop at The Soft Landing for BPA free products.

The places I mentioned above have helped me so much!  Anytime I need to purchase a new sippy, or teether, I can just check there before shopping.  I’ve also been able to look for products we already had and throw them out if they were not BPA free.

A few months ago I was feeding my baby his lunch out of the small plastic container that Gerber baby food comes in when I noticed a #7 inside the little triangle on the bottom.  I was like, great, here I am buying organic baby food that comes in a BPA container.  But some quick research revealed that #7 doesn’t always mean BPA.  I wish it was a little more clear cut, but in this case, it isn’t. Another place I wasn’t happy about finding BPA is in our big 5 gallon water bottles that we take each week to refill.  I cannot find an easy alternative here, so we’ll be installing an RO water filtration system in our home soon.

For now, I don’t think we can get completely away from BPA, but here are the steps you can take toward ridding it from your life:

• Avoid plastics with 3, 6, or7 in the recycle triangle
• Choose toys and books made with natural wood, paper, cloth, or metal
• Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic in the kitchen for food storage and reheating
• Use glass or ceramic when reheating in the microwave
• Use wax paper or paper towels to cover food in the microwave
• Check product packages for “no phthalates” or “no bisphenol A (BPA)”

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